The Signs of a Bad Therapist are Clear

The good, the bad, and the unethical.

Going therapy can be a beautiful fulfilling experience. Everyone has different reasons for seeing a therapist, but the one they share in common is they want to get better. Whether you’re living with depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia, you want to live a productive and happy life. When you see a therapist for the first time, you might not know what kind of provider you see because it’s challenging to figure that out preemptively at times. However, over time, you’ll develop a relationship with this person. You’ll start to trust them – hopefully – and will reveal emotional, intimate details of your life to them. The goal of therapy is to be able to release emotions and learn skills. If you can do that, then you’re doing it right. Make sure that if you’re in therapy, you feel like you’re able to be honest with your therapist because honesty is what will lead to a productive therapy session. Then again, your participation is only part of the therapy session. The other half is how good your therapist is. What happens when you realize you have a bad therapist?

What makes a ‘bad’ therapist?

A lousy therapist is someone who doesn’t listen to you. They take it for granted that you’re their client. A lousy therapist is someone who doesn’t value the relationship between the two of you and acts as though they’re superior to you. Someone who isn’t a good therapist doesn’t listen to their clients, and they might also be someone who inappropriately tells you what to do. Although you might go to therapy for guidance regarding specific situations, treatment isn’t necessarily a place for advice. Therapists should value their clients, the therapeutic relationship that they have, and they should show through action that they genuinely want to help their clients.

A bad therapist doesn’t want to help their clients

A bad therapist is someone that doesn’t genuinely want to help their clients. They don’t have their heart in it; they’re just there for an ego lift. Maybe, they feel like they know more than you do. Perhaps, they have a God complex, or they feel like they’re getting something from telling other people what to do and they’re not in it to help other people. You’ll figure out if this therapist that you’re seeing is in it for the wrong reasons the longer that you develop a relationship with them. If you start to notice that you’re seeing somebody that is not an ethical therapist, it’s time to decide to leave immediately.

Unethical therapists

You can be a bad therapist, but there’s a difference between being unethical and being bad. If you’re a terrible therapist, maybe you’re not helping your clients. An unethical therapist is crossing boundaries and shouldn’t be working with clients. An unethical therapist would be someone who tries to have an intimate relationship with their clients or become their friend, and this is not something that a therapist should do. A therapist is there to help their clients, but they’re not there to fraternize with them.

A good therapist

A good therapist cares about their clients. They’re somebody who wants to help their client succeed and do well in life. They’re dedicated to listening and providing feedback that they believe will help their clients. A good therapist is someone who you want to see, and an excellent therapist is who you want to work with so that your problems can melt away. Whether you’re working with someone online or in your local area, you don’t need a bad therapist; you deserve a good one.

This is a featured post by site sponsor Better Help.

About Marie Miguel

In this column, you will find articles on the therapeutic process, overcoming mental illness stigma, achieving wellness through a healthy lifestyle and much more. BetterHelp shares these crucial pieces of information with you here at The Good Men Project because they believe in your ability to have the best mental health that you can achieve. What better way to get to your goal than by reading about common issues that other people are facing? The number one reason that BetterHelp has been successful is due to people like you who want to learn more about how to get and stay mentally healthy. Read the stories here and take away the knowledge that wellness and healing are possible.

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

About BetterHelp

BetterHelp is the world’s largest e-counseling platform. The American Psychological Association, ABC, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic have recognized BetterHelp for excellence in the field. Their unrelenting goal is to make counseling accessible, affordable, and convenient. Life is full of unexpected challenges, and the counselors at BetterHelp are fully aware of this. That’s why they want to provide the best support and guidance they can to their clients. They are passionate about their roles and demonstrate this in the unconditional support they have for their clients. The remarkably skilled therapists and counselors at BetterHelp have completed an astounding 27,559,459 sessions, helping clients with a variety of mental health issues ranging from depression to Borderline Personality Disorder. These dedicated mental health professionals want to provide excellent therapeutic care to anyone who is searching for it. They believe that anyone can get help, anytime, anywhere.